Ranking the 10 Best Kings of All Time: #8 Dustin Brown
Welcome to the series where I rank the 10 greatest Los Angeles Kings ever!
At the #8 spot is Dustin Brown. Some would argue that Dustin Brown doesn't deserve a spot on the top 10 greatest Kings. However, he was an impactful player with the organization through the 2010s, and to me, he belongs on this list.
Brown wasn't known for point production but could contribute anywhere from 30 to 50 points per season. He had more of an impact on the physical side of the game. He amassed 200 hits in a season eight times in his career.
On April 29, 2022, Dustin Brown played in his last career regular season game with the @LAKings. In 18 seasons, Brown set the franchise record for games played (1,296), and is the second highest scoring right wing in #LAKings' history with 325 goals and 712 points.#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/wdaBBCScit
— The Kingstorian (@Kingstorian) April 29, 2023
Brown was also known as an outstanding leader. In 2013-14, he won the Mark Messier Leadership Award while serving as the Kings captain from 2008-2016.
📆: April 15th, 2012
Dustin Brown crushes Henrik Sedin #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/2kmv2xB0i9— Missin Curfew (@MissinCurfew) February 18, 2023
Brown was a dominant playoff performer; his style of play made it easy for him to excel in the postseason. He would hit anyone in sight and always managed to find the point sheet.
The LA Kings retire Dustin Brown's number 23 to the rafters 🫡 pic.twitter.com/QpCvalgVQw
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 12, 2023
Brown has since retired and seen his #23 head to the rafters. He also joined an elite group of players who had 300 goals and 3,000 hits; the most notable active NHL player is Alex Ovechkin.
Related: Ranking the 10 Best Kings of All Time: #10 Dave Taylor
Related: Ranking the 10 Best Kings of All Time: #9 Bernie Nichols